别问我；

Don’t ask me;

我没有写诗

I have no recipe

的秘诀。语言

for a poem. You

你知道的，

know the language,

散文结束处

know where prose ends

便是诗的开始。

and poetry begins.

餐前圣歌不应被

There should be no

算作一首诗。

introit into a poem.

听者应有知觉

The listener should come

并意识到

to and realise

诗已经发生了

verse has been going on

一段时间。

for some time. Let

我们别咳嗽，

there be no coughing,

也别叹气。诗

no sighing. Poetry

是一种符咒，

is a spell woven

用辅音和元音

by consonants and vowels

以非逻辑方式织成。

in the absence of logic,

别去管一首诗的

Ask no rhyme

韵脚，仅

of a poem, only

让它忠于

that it keep faith

生命的韵律。

with life’s rhythm.

语言会捉弄你

Language will trick

如果可能。

you if it can.

文法，是

Syntax is words’

词语桎梏灵魂

way of shackling

的途径。诗是

the spirit. Poetry is that

经由心灵

which arrrives at the intellect

抵达智慧之物。

by way of the heart.